Bob Dylan and the crucification,All Along The Watchtower

There must be some kind of way out of here,"
Said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion,
I can't get no relief.
Businessman they drink my wine,
Plowman dig my earth
None will level on the line, nobody offered his word, hey"

"No reason to get excited,"
The thief, he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late"

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too

Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl
buisness man there, drink my wine,
Come and take my herb.

I never have given much thought to the lyrics but it seems like he is giving his view of the cross or maybe he was tapped into Jesus on a spiritual
level? So what do you think.

edit on 19-6-2013 by deadeyedick because: (no reason given)

There must be some kind of way out of here," (way off the cross)
Said the joker to the thief, Jesus view as a joker by many and the repentant thief)
"There's too much confusion, (no one knew the truth)
I can't get no relief. (no other choice )
Businessman they drink my wine,( taking the fruit of the land from the inhabitants)
Plowman dig my earth (accepting the curse)
None will level on the line, nobody offered his word, hey" (none speak the real truth)

"No reason to get excited," (nothing can change what comes next)
The thief, he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke (the unrepentant thief and those supporting his death)
But you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate (death is not the end)
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late" (anything they say would have been considered a lie)

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view (the elect that was responsible)
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too (men would not want to be associated with him at this point)

Outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching (two soldiers that ended the suffering)
And the wind began to howl (the holy spirit)
buisness man there, drink my wine, (take the indulgences)
Come and take my herb.(taking away an ease to the suffering of life/spirituality)

Yea something else i didn't know. It makes the joker part make more sense and can give a lead into references he made in other works. There is no
doubt in my mind now as to the inspiration for the lyrics.

It is a great song...but I just dont see how it relates to the crucifixion of Jesus except for the commonality of the "thief"...and maybe the "wind
howling" (post death of Jesus on the cross) but there is no reference to the cross or divinity in the song. The reference to the "joker" could
support a Batman reference and the "two riders" (if on one horse) could be interpreted as a Knights Templar reference so there are other
possibilities. Maybe some research on Bob Dylan will uncover what his framework of reference was in writing the lyrics.

From a site on song meanings:
You guys are getting too in depth. If you ever get a chance to visit New Paltz, NY, the whole first part of the song would make sense. The town and
village are famous for its farmers and the visitors from NYC (Businessmen and Plowmen). It is also famous for it's people who love their weed (feel
like life is a joke -Burnouts). Upon the mountain top is the Albert K. Smiley Memorial Tower, which dates back to 1923 which is also one of the most
famous attractions in New Paltz. The Princes which kept the view are the brothers Albert K. Smiley and Alfred H. Smiley, who are the men that
purchased and cared for the lands on which the Watchtower was later constructed on, and which overlooks New Paltz. The last verse about the riders
approaching came from his motor cycle accident in 1966 in which a Red Fox or the "Wild Cat" ran in front of him causing him to lose balance and fall
off his bike on the hair pin turn of route 44/55 ironically in a perfect view of the ridge or "Watch Tower" this happened on a windy night hence the
wind howling. Don't get to analytical, but look into the area and its history, its very interesting!

I edited the op a bit to show some of what i think but you do get the gist of it. Surprisingly this did not come by hearing the whole song. I had a
vision of sorts of some guys looking on the scene from a high place after i heard the words all along the watchtower and i had a vision of the cross.

That is really incredible to me considering the similarities i found. To me it says alot about life and what governs everything around us. To think
that all those random events could coincide poetically with a story of the cross is just wow. good find

Originally posted by CosmicCitizen
From a site on song meanings:
You guys are getting too in depth. If you ever get a chance to visit New Paltz, NY, the whole first part of the song would make sense. The town and
village are famous for its farmers and the visitors from NYC (Businessmen and Plowmen). It is also famous for it's people who love their weed (feel
like life is a joke -Burnouts). Upon the mountain top is the Albert K. Smiley Memorial Tower, which dates back to 1923 which is also one of the most
famous attractions in New Paltz. The Princes which kept the view are the brothers Albert K. Smiley and Alfred H. Smiley, who are the men that
purchased and cared for the lands on which the Watchtower was later constructed on, and which overlooks New Paltz. The last verse about the riders
approaching came from his motor cycle accident in 1966 in which a Red Fox or the "Wild Cat" ran in front of him causing him to lose balance and fall
off his bike on the hair pin turn of route 44/55 ironically in a perfect view of the ridge or "Watch Tower" this happened on a windy night hence the
wind howling. Don't get to analytical, but look into the area and its history, its very interesting!

What if its about both at the same time? PKD in Valis writes about the idea that we are still there, in Rome at the time of the crucifixion, the
empire never ended. So elements of the bible stories are showing up in our lives all the time.

of Isaiah, Chapter 21, verses 5-9:
Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise ye princes, and prepare the shield./For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go set a
watchman, let him declare what he seeth./And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened
diligently with much heed./...And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
Some have guessed these verses as the inspiration but to me it is not as close as the cross.

The dark, religious tones that appeared during the
Basement Tapes sessions also continues through these songs, manifesting in language from the King James Bible. In The Bible in the Lyrics of Bob
Dylan, Bert Cartwright cites more than sixty biblical allusions over the course of the thirty-eight and a half minute album, with as many as fifteen
in "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" alone. An Old Testament morality also colors most of the songs' characters. In an interview with
Toby Thompson[2] in 1968, Dylan's mother, Beatty Zimmerman, mentioned Dylan's growing interest in the Bible, stating that "in his house in
Woodstock today, there's a huge Bible open on a stand in the middle of his study. Of all the books that crowd his house, overflow from his house,
that Bible gets the most attention. He's continuously getting up and going over to refer to
something."

Standing on the water, casting your bread
While the eyes of the idol with the iron head are glowing
Distant ships sailing into the mist
You were born with a snake in both of your fists while a hurricane was blowing
Freedom just around the corner for you
But with truth so far off, what good will it do.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune
Bird fly high by the light of the moon
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

So swiftly the sun sets in the sky
You rise up and say goodbye to no one
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Both of their futures, so full of dread, you don't show one
Shedding off one more layer of skin
Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune
Bird fly high by the light of the moon
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

You're a man of the mountains, you can walk on the clouds
Manipulator of crowds, you're a dream twister
You're going to Sodom and Gomorrah
But what do you care ? Ain't nobody there would want marry your sister
Friend to the martyr, a friend to the woman of shame
You look into the fiery furnace, see the rich man without any name.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune
Bird fly high by the light of the moon
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

Well, the Book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy
The law of the jungle and the sea are your only teachers
In the smoke of the twilight on a milk-white steed
Michelangelo indeed could've carved out your features
Resting in the fields, far from the turbulent space
Half asleep near the stars with a small dog licking your face.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune
Bird fly high by the light of the moon
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

Well, the rifleman's stalking the sick and the lame
Preacherman seeks the same, who'll get there first is uncertain
Nightsticks and water cannons, tear gas, padlocks
Molotov cocktails and rocks behind every curtain
False-hearted judges dying in the webs that they spin
Only a matter of time 'til the night comes stepping in.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune
Bird fly high by the light of the moon
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

It's a shadowy world, skies are slippery gray
A woman just gave birth to a prince today and dressed him in scarlet
He'll put the priest in his pocket, put the blade to the heat
Take the motherless children off the street
And place them at the feet of a harlot
Oh, Jokerman, you know what he wants
Oh, Jokerman, you don't show any response.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune
Bird fly high by the light of the moon
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

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